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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26851144">I'll be here</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hellokaelyn/pseuds/Hellokaelyn'>Hellokaelyn</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Fictober 2020 [5]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>NCIS</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Hurt/Comfort</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 16:41:23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>807</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26851144</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hellokaelyn/pseuds/Hellokaelyn</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Nick swallowed roughly and raised his fist to the door, doing his special knock. He fully expected to be told to go away or not get an answer at all..but his heart jumped into his throat when he heard her tell him to come in.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Ellie Bishop/Nick Torres</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Fictober 2020 [5]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1949200</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>32</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>I'll be here</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Prompt: "unacceptable, try again"</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>"Look Ellie, I know he's an ass-"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Wrong."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I really like you-"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"No."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'm sorry about-"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Try again."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"This isn't how I wanted to-"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Still wrong."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Ellie, I know I've been a bad-"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Unacceptable, try again."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What?! What was wrong with that one?!" Nick huffed, throwing his arms up in annoyance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Men." Ziva scoffed standing in front of him, crossing her arms over her chest. "You need to sound sincere when going to her Nicholas."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"All of that was me being sincere!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Your words need to reflect it." Ziva reached out and flicked at his forehead making him flinch back with a glare. "Eleanor went through a break up, she does not need you reminding her of your lack of friendship during the last few months or how sorry you are."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I can't go there without apologizing!" Nick groaned, dragging a hand down his face. "I'll be lucky if she even lets me in the door."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Do not be stupid." She scowled, flicking at his forehead again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Seriously Ziva what </span>
  <em>
    <span>is</span>
  </em>
  <span> that?!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It is an alternative to hitting Tony in front of Tali."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"How does Tony put up with you." Nick grumbled under his breath, hand rubbing at his forehead that she flicked at least ten times in the matter of an hour.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"How does Eleanor put up with you?" Ziva shot back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nick huffed. "Fine, touché."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Now..let us get back to business. Try </span>
  <em>
    <span>again</span>
  </em>
  <span>."</span>
</p><hr/><p>
  <span>Nick stood outside her door feeling the nerves rise in his stomach. He hasn't been to her place in five months, since she first came clean about this guy she was dating, someone she really seemed to like. Nick without realizing it found himself drifting from her, pulling himself away out of jealousy. There was no messing with texts this time, because Nick was barely around. He avoided her the best he could but unlike last time he pulled away, Ellie barely seemed to notice too caught up in her whirlwind romance with James, a new guy who worked with Delilah. There was a thought of transferring teams or even going back to undercover the more it went on, seeing how everyone loves him and them together, the double dates with them and the McGee's or even Palmer with Breena—but the finale sting was a conversation he overhead between Ellie and Gibbs who was checking in. She told him this was the happiest she'd been in a while, that a possible future with James didn't seem so scary.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nick recalled Ellie once whispering to him in one of their rare open moments that the thought of being with him scared her. She wasn't scared with James. It stung deep.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Only that future didn't happen as James confessed to having a family back in Boston, the whole wife and kids with a nice house surrounded by a picket fence. Ellie this time was the other woman, only she didn't know it till she already started to fall.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nick swallowed roughly and raised his fist to the door, doing </span>
  <em>
    <span>his</span>
  </em>
  <span> special knock. He fully expected to be told to go away or not get an answer at all..but his heart jumped into his throat when he heard her tell him to come in.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Slowly he opened it, right away spotting her curled on the couch wrapped in a fluffy blanket. Closing the door quietly behind him, he walked over to her. Tissues scattered around, and an empty ice cream carton sat on the coffee table. Nick didn't say a word yet as he sat beside her. Ellie looked at him with red puffy eyes and sniffled. Giving her a smile, he forgot the words he rehearsed with Ziva and instead reached for Ellie pulling her against him. Ellie sighed sadly and sunk into him, face pressed into his shirt as he wrapped her in his arms, smoothing a hand along her back slowly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sometimes words weren't necessary.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Moments later she pulled away, looking at him with tear stained cheeks that he wiped away with his thumbs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Whatever you need, I'm here." He told her softly, eyes locked with hers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'm sorry." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What?" Nick frowned. "I should be saying sorry Ellie."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I understand why you weren't around." Ellie leaned back in, curling into his side. Nick pressed a kiss to the side of her head and ran his fingers through her hair gently. "I know I hurt you..I only care that you're here right now." She mumbled. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I never wanted </span>
  <em>
    <span>you </span>
  </em>
  <span>to be hurt."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I know."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nick sighed deeply, resting his head on top of hers. "Men suck."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ellie giggled. "There something you wanna tell me Nick?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Oh shut up." He laughed quietly, giving her side a pinch. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He felt her smile against him and smiled softly himself. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Looks like he didn't need coaching on not screwing it up after all.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
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